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Green Fields: Bird flu pause brings hope

Dead chickens are hauled to be buried in a farm field near Rose Acre Farms on May 12. Rose Acre Farms was depopulating its Winterset egg-laying operation after the avian influenza virus was discovered there.(Photo: Rodney White/Register file photo)Buy Photo

A pause last week in new bird flu cases in Iowa makes Ag Secretary Bill Northey hopeful it will mark the end of the disease's deadly march in the state.

But even if Iowa is lucky enough to have no new cases, it will likely take several weeks, if not months, to fully dispose of all the 29 million chickens and turkeys killed by the virus or destroyed to contain it, and to clean, decontaminate and repopulate facilities already hit by the virus.

And Northey said Iowa poultry producers must continue to push biosecurity efforts, especially with another round of outbreaks possible this fall.

Poultry producers across the country are worried migratory waterfowl — believed to spread the disease in their droppings — will bring back the virus to the Midwest and other flyways, such as the East Coast, home to millions of turkeys and chickens.

Northey said it's worrying beef and pork producers.

An outbreak in large poultry-producing states such as North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama would prevent exports of healthy chickens and turkeys. It has the potential to flood U.S. supermarkets with lower-priced poultry, and cut prices for all U.S. meat products.

"That's the really scary one," said Steve Meyer, vice president of pork analysis at Express Markets Inc., an Indiana-based market analytics company. He was among the experts who spoke at the World Pork Expo, an event held last week in Des Moines that attracted an estimated 20,000 pork producers and industry professionals. "I don't want to think about that," he said. "It would not be pretty."

That fear has Iowa producers contemplating not bringing chickens or turkeys back into the facilities until after migration has ended, Northey said.

"There's a lot of nervousness about this fall — in Iowa and other states," he said. "Even if USDA allowed us to go ahead and fill those barns up, do we want to do that right ahead of fall? Some will say, yes, absolutely ... and others will say, I just can't go through this again."

Some producers also are contemplating bringing "sentinel flocks" — birds that might be at the end of their production cycle — into facilities to ensure they're safe.

It's one of many issues that industry and government officials have to work through in the weeks ahead, Northey said.

Some other avian influenza issues discussed last week:

• A vaccine will not be approved to combat the bird flu virus because it is not effective enough, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said the vaccine is not "well matched" against the virus and does not provide enough protection for birds from getting the virus. Commercial producers had been pushing for the release to prevent further infections from the current strain.

The agency said it will support efforts to develop a more effective vaccine. Harrisvaccines of Ames is among the companies working on a vaccine.

• U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst asked for a federal hearing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's response to avian influenza, concerns about producer payments to cover losses, and bird disposal, among other issues.

"We have heard from countless folks in Iowa who are concerned about the lack of certainty caused by this situation — many of whom just want to find resolution to this tragedy and get back to work," the Iowa Republicans wrote Sen. Pat Roberts, chairman of the agriculture committee. "Family farms ... are left with empty barns and questions regarding their future."

Since first hitting Iowa in April, 72 commercial and backyard flocks have been infected. Nationwide, an estimated 46 million birds have been infected at 216 operations.

USDA has said its response has been robust. The federal agency had more than 1,700 employees and contract workers in Iowa to battle the virus. And the near-completion of depopulating infected facilities is a major milestone.

West Central plans $27 million expansion

West Central Co-op last week outlined its plan to invest $27 million in a multiyear project to increase soybean processing capacity by 50 percent at its Ralston complex in north-central Iowa.

At full capacity, the expansion would create demand for 6 million more bushels of soybeans each year and create at least 11 full-time jobs, the company said. The company expects to expand its production of SoyPlus, a dairy feed ingredient.

"This plant expansion is important for our West Central stockholders and area growers as we demonstrate the difference with long-term investments that enhance demand, further diversify our business, and create opportunities to expand our global reach with additional volume," said Milan Kucerak, West Central's CEO.

The project includes adding nearly 3 million bushels of added soybean storage. New production should begin in 2016. West Central plans to hold a job fair in Ralston from 5-7 p.m. Thursday.